Alice's Love
by VioletRose13
Summary: After the events of "Alice Through the Looking Glass". Alice and her mother have opened a thriving, successful trade business, but what happens when a certain employee catches the eye of Miss Kingsleigh?
1. Introduction

Alice Kingsleigh was the proud captain of her late father's beloved ship, The Wonder, and co-owner of her very own trading company with her mother, Helen. After a while, 'Kingsleigh & Kingsleigh' has now become very successful as well as popular around the globe and Alice couldn't be any prouder. She still lived with her mother in London, but in a different house that was built closer to the docks… and also closer to her most loyal and faithful employee, a rather charming young man by the name of James Harcourt.

Alice had hired James not too long after she started her own trading company and after he quit working for Lord Hamish Ascot (and after Alice had saved the magical, whimsical, and nonsensical world of Underland a second time). James had always liked Alice even before he started working for her and after a time… he almost felt somewhat attracted to her, but he knew that he should keep the relationship he had with his employer as professional as possible. Until one fateful day, everything changed for both James _and_ Alice.


	2. How Noble of You

One cool, cloudy day while she was in her cabin aboard The Wonder, Alice suddenly heard somewhat of a commotion outside. She got up from her desk, opened the door, and to her surprise, she saw that one of her sailors, a rather round and gruff man named Mr. Floyd, was fighting none other than Mr. James Harcourt. She gasped and went over to the two men to try and calmly break it up, only to accidentally get hit in the head by Mr. Floyd and collapse right onto the deck… just as Alice's mother came out to see what was going on.

"Alice!" Helen shrieked as she came to her daughter's aid.

Alice tried to open her eyes, her vision still very blurry from the blow to the head she received. She blinked a few times and saw a blurry figure hovering over her.

"Alice? Alice, are you alright?" A familiar voice asked.

"Hmm? M-m-m-mother?" The young woman asked as she tried to sit up, but her mother gently pushed her back down onto her bed. "What happened? Where am I?"

"You're in your cabin, dear." Helen explained as she dabbed a wet rag on her daughter's forehead. "You were accidentally knocked out by Mr. Floyd when you tried to break up a fight. But you were lucky that Mr. Harcourt was there to help."

"Mr. Harcourt?" Alice asked.

"Yes. He brought you in here and laid you down in bed… all by himself, I might add."

"Where is he? I'd… like to personally thank him."

"Don't worry; he watched over you until I came in. I think he's at the helm now."

Alice slowly sat up and looked around to see that she _was_ back in her cabin; she turned her head to look back at her mother.

"How long have I been out?" She asked.

"About an hour and a half, at the most." Helen calmly replied.

Alice then climbed out of bed and went towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To find Mr. Harcourt."

Before Helen could say another word, Alice was already out the door. She made her way to the stern of the ship to see James with a black eye, a split lip, and one hand on the helm.

"Mr. Harcourt?" She asked.

"Oh, Miss Kingsleigh. I mean, Captain Kingsleigh. You… you're awake." James said, surprised to hear the captain's voice; he turned his head to face her.

"And _you_ are hurt." Alice replied, walking closer to James and taking a closer look at his injuries.

"No, no. It's alright, Captain." James replied nonchalantly. "It's no big deal; I can handle it just fine, I promise… Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Mr. Harcourt. But are _you_?"

"Don't worry about it, Miss Kingsleigh; I'm fine, really."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes… You know, that was a brave thing you did for me."

"Stepping into that fight between you and Mr. Floyd? Don't mention it. But there's still one thing that confuses me."

"What's that?"

"What were you and Mr. Floyd fighting about in the first place?"

"Oh, yes! He, um… disrespected you."

"He did? How so?"

"He was saying that the crew shouldn't be captained by a woman. He even called you deranged and mad. The other men didn't agree, but they didn't have the nerve to stand up to him… I wouldn't have any of it. I was only defending your honor."

"I see. Well, I suppose I should speak with Mr. Floyd about this… I just hope something like this doesn't happen again."

"You and me both."

Both Alice and James shared a laugh; they looked at each other before Alice spoke again.

"But I don't expect you to run yourself to the bone over me, Mr. Harcourt." She said.

"With no disrespect intended captain, I'd happily run myself ragged for 'Kingsleigh & Kingsleigh' any day." James proudly replied before remembering that day he was dismissed from Ascot & Co. "You know, I've never seen anyone stand up to the young Lord Ascot with such talent and brilliance like you and your mother, for that I know make worthy employers."

"You really think so?"

"I know so; you and your mother are probably the best employers any man could have."

Alice smiled at James's comment as she rested her hand on the helm next to his hand.

"Thank you for such praise, Mr. Harcourt." She said. "Why don't you get some rest? I'll take it from here."

"As you wish, captain." James said before letting go of the helm and walking away.

Alice grabbed hold of the helm, but she kept her eyes on James before he disappeared under the ship's deck; she was proud to have an employee like him.


	3. Dinner

Alice was looking over a map of the world and writing in her journal in her new study one evening when she heard her mother's voice calling her from downstairs.

"Alice? Could you come down here for a moment?" Helen called.

"Coming, mother." Alice called back before heading downstairs.

When she made it downstairs, Alice was surprised to see James Harcourt standing in the parlor with her mother. He smiled at her when he met her gaze.

"Mr. Harcourt?" She asked.

"Good evening, Miss Kingsleigh." James greeted with a bow of his head.

"What brings you here?" Alice asked after politely nodding her head. "Is something the matter?"

"No, nothing is wrong, ma'am. I was in the neighborhood and I just thought I would pay you and your mother a visit."

Alice smiled a sly smirk and raised a curious eyebrow at him. James smiled and chuckled under his breath at her reaction.

"What? Can't a simple employee just drop by his employer's home just to say 'hello' …and possibly even converse for a short period of time?" He asked.

Alice giggled as she said, "Of course he can. And don't worry, you're _always_ welcomed here."

"Well thank you very much, Miss Kingsleigh."

"Please, Mr. Harcourt; just Alice would be fine."

"Oh, yes. Of course… Alice. And you should know that you're welcomed to just call me James if you'd like."

"Very well, James… You know, my mother and I were about to have supper in a few minutes. Would you… care to join us?"

"What? Oh no, I wouldn't want to impose—"

"Oh no, it's no problem. Is it, mother?"

"Of course not. No problem at all." Helen replied with a smile.

"Oh. Well… in that case, I'd love to."

That evening, James stayed for supper and surprisingly, he and Alice had a wonderful time together. They talked, joked, and laughed up a storm; they told each other stories, shared their interests and tales of their past. They talked for almost an hour about their favorite books alone. After a while, James was getting ready to go home.

"I've had a great time tonight, Alice." He said as he went to grab his coat.

"I have too, James." Alice replied. "I hope we can do this again soon."

"…Me too."

"Oh! Before you leave, do you need a ride home? I'm sure I could—"

"Oh, no; there's no need. My house isn't very far, I can just walk."

"If you say so."

"Alright. Well… I shall see you at work?"

"See you at work."

With a smile and a quick nod, James opened the door and walked out into the night. Alice smiled and quickly waved goodbye to him before slowly closing the door. She looked back at her mother who had a conspiratorial look in her eyes and a sly grin on her face; Alice's smile quickly faded at the sight.

"What?" Alice asked, raising a confused eyebrow.

"Nothing…" Helen replied. "Just that Mr. Harcourt _likes_ you."

"You mean James? Oh please." Alice scoffed with a chuckle.

"No. I'm serious, dear. I immediately noticed the way he looked at you when he left; I could see it in his eyes."

Alice was speechless at what her mother was telling her right now; a blush suddenly started to form on her cheeks.

"What on Earth are you talking about, mother?" She asked.

"Nothing. I'm just saying that you might want to consider… another venture." Helen replied.

"Another venture? Do you mean…?"

Alice finally caught on with what her mother was trying to say; she shook her head before looked back at Helen with wide eyes.

"Mother, you can't possibly mean that I… I mean if… you can't mean—" Alice stuttered.

"I can and I do." Helen interrupted. "You are acting the exact same way your sister Margaret did when she first met Lowell. I can see it right now: the nervous grin, the bashful demeanor, the dopey giggle… AND you're blushing right now. Have you not noticed that?"

Alice looked away from her mother in embarrassment as she tried to cover her cheeks.

"I-I, um…" She stuttered, unable to find the right words.

Suddenly, Alice turned on her heels and briskly walked up the stairs to her bedroom without saying another word. Helen was left standing in the living room by herself, looking at the stairs dumbfounded at her youngest daughter's abrupt reaction.

"Um… Alright, then. Goodnight, dear." Helen called uneasily.

Alice shut the door to her bedroom and ran her hand through her messy yellow hair before letting out a deep sigh.

"What is Mother thinking?" She muttered before walking over to her bed

As Alice lay on her bed, she stared up at the ceiling; her mother's words were buzzing around in her mind like a swarm of angry bees. She turned onto her side and looked out the window; the waxing moon was casting a faint, pale light onto everything through the glass. As she gazed at the light, her eyelids suddenly felt very heavy as if a powerful sleep spell was suddenly cast upon her. Before she knew it, Alice had drifted off to sleep.


	4. Listen to Your Heart

"Hello? Hello!" Alice called.

She was standing in the middle of a beautiful garden with different kinds of plants and flowers of all colors.

"Alice? Is that you?"

She recognized the voice almost immediately; she smiled and ran towards it. At first she felt like she wasn't even going anywhere but soon, she was met with the face of her friend Tarrant Hightopp, the Mad Hatter.

"Hatter!" She cried as she hugged him tight; he hugged her back.

They split and Hatter looked at Alice curiously, as if he wasn't sure if it was really her or not.

"You are you, aren't you?" He asked as he inspected her.

"Yes." Alice replied with a smile.

"…Is there something troubling you, dear?"

She froze and her eyes widened in surprise; she didn't say a word and Hatter caught on right away.

"Come now, Alice; you can tell me anything. Tell me what is wrong, please."

"…I think I'm falling for someone."

"Oh?"

"Yes. His name is James."

"Really? Tell me about him."

"He's very sweet, funny, and brave. He understands me and he actually stood up for me once or twice. He came over for dinner earlier and… we had a ball. And my mother said to me that… that I might be developing _feelings_ for James."

"Oh, really? Did your mother say you were blushing?"

"Yes."

"Were you stuttering?"

"Yes."

"And… were you denying it?"

"…No."

"You're lying. You did deny it, didn't you?"

"I-I-I-I-I, um…"

By now, Alice couldn't figure out what to say to that; first Helen was telling her she had feelings for James and now Hatter? Who would be next, Margaret?

"I've learned that denial is the clincher." Hatter said. "But you shouldn't deny your feelings, Alice. It isn't healthy; you need to admit what you're feeling to this James soon, or you will never get passed these fears."

"Fears? Pfft. You must be mistaken, Hatter; what would _I_ be afraid of? I faced the Jabberwocky, I sailed the sea, I-I-I…"

"You're afraid he might not love you back."

'Love? Did he just say LOVE?'

"Do you care for him?"

"Well… yes, I do. But—"

"Then you shouldn't push away your feelings, no matter what you say. Listen to your heart, Alice. That's what _I_ did."

"What _you_ did?"

Hatter suddenly vanished in a cloud of white smoke as the world around her began to fade to black. Alice gasped and opened her eyes before she abruptly sat up; she looked around and saw that she was back in her bedroom. It was a dream, just a dream. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"What do I do? What do I do?" She asked herself.

She got out of bed and went to the window, gazing at the dark sky. Alice puzzled and puzzled for a long time until she remembered something the Hatter told her before she woke up. He told her to listen to her heart.

"Listen to my heart, listen to my heart…" She repeated.


	5. The Invitation

Days went by since that night. Alice wanted to tell James how she felt, but she had no idea how to go about it. Should she be subtle about it and wait for him to figure it out or should she go and tell him right off the bat? She felt torn. What if he laughed at her when she told him? What if he was disgusted and wanted nothing to do with her after that? Or worse… what if he didn't feel the same way about her? Alice was so distraught and confused that she couldn't even focus on her work.

"Alice? Alice, is everything alright?" Helen's voice asked.

Alice suddenly looked up from her paperwork and saw her mother standing in front of her desk with a concerned look on her face.

"Yes, mother?" She asked.

"Is everything alright, dear?"

"Uh, yes. Yes, I'm fine." Alice quickly got up from her desk and went over to another corner of the room.

"No you're not." Helen deduced. "You're hiding something."

"No I'm not."

"This is about James, isn't it?"

"James? …No."

"Don't lie to me, Alice. Just talk, please."

Alice paused and shut her eyes for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh. She quickly closed her office door and looked back at her mother.

"I think I might have feelings for James." She blurted out.

It was then that Alice began to explain everything to her mother. She told her about her thoughts, her fears, and even what the Hatter said to her in her dream that night. Helen almost couldn't believe it. By the time Alice was done, she heaved a heavy sigh and slumped back into her chair, running a hand through her blonde hair.

"And that's about it." She said.

"…I knew it." Helen smirked before getting an idea. "You should invite him to Margaret's party."

"What?!" Alice's eyes widened in shock.

"You heard me. Take him with. That way, you two could get to know one another better. It's worth a try. What have you got to lose?"

Alice paused and thought about what the Hatter told her before she woke up; he told her to listen to her heart and to not run away from her feelings. She looked at her mother and relented.

"Fine. I'll ask James if he wants to come with us. And if he does… I'll tell him how I feel." She sighed.

Helen smiled. "That's my girl."

Just as Alice was about to head out the door to find him, James suddenly opened the door and nearly crashed into Alice. They looked at each other with wide eyes before they hesitantly started to talk.

"Alice! I, um, I-I-I… How are you?" James quickly asked.

"Good." Alice answered just as quickly. "Um, James… there's something I wanted to ask you. My sister and her husband are having a party in three days and I was wondering… if you'd like to come with me and my mother."

James paused. " _Me_?"

"Well… yes. But it's fine if you don't want to go. I understand."

"No, no, wait. I'm not saying no. What I mean is… I'd love to come."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Well, in that case… great! What do you say my mother and I pick you up at six on Saturday?"

"That sounds great."

"And be sure to wear something nice."

"I will. I'll see you then."

"Great."

They smiled before James headed out the door to head back to work, leaving Alice and her mother alone in the office once again. When Alice turned around to face her mother, Helen had a smug smile on her face. The girl merely rolled her eyes and smirked.


End file.
